Uh Oh!

new small paddle
This is the small, purse-sized paddle we ordered. It is thick oak; heavy and painful, according to Lion. (Click image for larger view.)

We went out to eat last night at a deli that Lion loves. They served us pickles before our meal. Lion picked one up and, apparently without thinking, took a bite. I said, “Uh oh!” At first I couldn’t tell if he knew what he did. Then he looked at me with his I’m-in-trouble-now look. He knew he was in for it later, but I made a point of taking out a penny. I dropped it on the table and then put it in my pocket. Lion loves showmanship.

I noticed while we were eating that he didn’t have his collar on. Sometimes he wears it when we’re out. It all depends on if it can be seen easily or not. Last night we left the house as soon as he got home so I knew he didn’t forget it. There just wasn’t time to put it on. I was proud of myself for noticing he didn’t have it on even if it didn’t mean he’d get punished. My pride was short lived though. Once we got home and Lion undressed he forgot his collar. I also forgot. It wasn’t until he said, “Uh oh.” and put it on that I realized our mistake. It’s our mistake because we both forgot. Unfortunately for Lion, I don’t take any of the blame when the paddles starts flying.

We got yet another paddle in the mail the other day. It’s oak, I think, and it’s very small. It’s painted/stained black and has a rougher finish than most of our paddles. To me it looks almost like a hard plastic paddle with woodgrain molded in. I’m not sure I like it. I’ve only used it twice so I may be premature in my review, but something doesn’t feel right about it. More testing needs to be done. Poor Lion.

To his credit, Lion did not make a mess at dinner. He didn’t spill anything on himself. He didn’t spill anything on the table. The only thing he did was growl about the service. In his defense, we had a bad waitress. The owner apologized, saying the deli was quite busy, but we’ve been there when it’s been far busier and service was not as bad. Lion growled sooner than I would have but, truthfully, I’m not sure I would have growled at all. That’s just me though. He did hold it far longer than he would have in the past. I guess my don’t-growl-at-the-wait-staff-who-could-spit-in-your-food suggestions are helping.  [Lion – Actually it’s the don’t-growl-at-the-wait-staff-or-I-will-spank-you threat that kept me quiet as long as I managed.] It took a long time for our order to be taken, a long time for any food (other than pickles) to arrive, and a long time to receive a check. In the end, we never did get the check. Lion complained again and the manager (with the owner’s approval) gave us our meals for free. He agreed that the waitress did a poor job. And Lion maintained a relatively calm demeanor. He didn’t cause a scene. And we were fully prepared to pay for the food. Lion actually went looking for the manager to pay the check. My Lion was a very good boy in a bad situation.